Life in Christ (9)

It’s time to get dressed up...

We wear different clothes for different occasions, or maybe I should say, we used to wear different clothes for different occasions.

When I went to Central Pentecostal College, they had a dress code.

When we had classes, we had to wear dress pants and a dress shirt. The ladies could wear dress pants, a dress shirt, or a dress.

We couldn’t go into the education wing with jeans until after 4:00pm on weekdays.

Sunday apparel was a suit and tie for guys, and dresses or a skirt for the ladies.

I look back at those days, and am grateful that we have shifted, but sometimes wonder if we have shifted too far. I don’t have the answer for that, but I sometimes ponder it.

There is something to be said about wearing the proper clothing for the proper occasion.

In Matthew 22, Jesus told a story about a man that was invited to a wedding feast.

The king’s son was getting married, and the invited guests wouldn’t come, so the king sent his servants out to invite anyone who would come.

As the king was looking over his guests, he saw a man that wasn’t dressed in wedding attire, so he asked the man how he got in without wedding clothes. The man was speechless. He was tied up and thrown out.

Jesus inferred that no one will be allowed into the great banquet in heaven who is not clothed in the wedding clothes of heaven. We call this banquet, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Let’s read our Scripture,

Colossians 3:12–17 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved...

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Ephesians 1:3–6 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

It can be so easy to get into arguments or discussions of who chose who…We love God because He first loved us.

He chose you before the creation of the world to be holy, which means set apart, and blameless in His sight.

I’m sure it breaks God’s heart to see many that He has called, refuse to come. They have been invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but they have better things to do, so they just ignore His invitation.

You are His beloved. He takes pleasure in you.

1 John 3:1 (NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are...

Therefore as God chosen people, holy, and dearly loved.

Clothe yourselves...

The NKJV says,

“Put on…”

This is something we must do. To clothe, to put on, are action verses.

So many times, we expect God to do it all...

We want God, we even want the blessings, of God, but we aren’t willing to pursue Him.

Whether you want to or not, you have put clothes on. What do I mean by this? I’m glad you asked...

We chose to accept the thoughts we think, and those thoughts shape who we become.

Proverbs 23:6–7 NKJV

Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

These verses speak to hypocrisy: thinking one thing but saying something else...

But the words

As a person thinks so is he or she.

Let’s be careful of the thoughts we think...They will bring life or death.

So getting back to the point of to clothe or to put on, we can clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, or we can clothe ourselves with the sinful nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.

It can happen all too easy, but the question is,

Have we set our hearts on things above?

Have we set our minds on things above, not earthly things.”

Let’s take a few minutes and see what clothes we are to put on.

Colossians 3:12 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Compassion

It is...

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Living the New Life / 3:1–17)

Genuine sensitivity and heartfelt sympathy for the needs of others.

This is an attribute of God.

Psalm 103:8–10 NIV

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

We also need to clothe ourselves with

Kindness

is

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Living the New Life / 3:1–17)

Acting charitably, benevolently toward others, as God has done toward us.

We love because He first loved us.

Chances are, we all know the story about

The Good Samaritan

Samaritans were despised. They were partially Israelites and yet they were Gentiles.

To a Jew, a Samaritan would be a stench, just as a dog or a pig.

In John 4, Jesus said, I must needs go through Samaria. The disciples were probably thinking, “Really!!”

Jesus used the illustration of an man that wasn’t accepting in Israel, but because he was kind, he took care of a beaten and bloodied man, who was left for dead. A priest and Levite wouldn’t even stop to help, but God used the willing.

God will use you if you are willing.

Clothe yourselves with

Humility

is

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Living the New Life / 3:1–17)

An attitude of self-esteem that is neither puffed up with pride, nor self-depreciating. It is a true understanding of one’s position with God.

We need to be careful not to buy into the lie that humility is thinking that we are nothing.

It reminds me of the song that Mike Warnke, for those of you who know his story, we aren’t going to broach that today...but he was a comedian. To the tune of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

He sang,

“I come before Thy throne of grace,

and throw myself upon my face.

I am nothing but a worm, so step on me God and watch me squirm.”

God has made you in His image.

When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved.

God planned before time began that we should be holy and without blame.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation that you should declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Clothe yourselves with

Gentleness

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Living the New Life / 3:1–17)

Gentleness is not to be confused with weakness; instead, it means consideration for others and a willingness to give up one’s rights for the sake of another.

Gentleness is strength under control.

Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels, and yet He went to the cross.

Clothe yourselves with

Patience

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Living the New Life / 3:1–17)

Long-suffering, or putting up with people who irritate. The person might have the right to retaliate, but chooses patience instead.

It’s hard, if not impossible to try to do this in our own strength, we need the Holy Spirit working in us.

The fruit that comes from changing our clothes is

Forbearance & Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 NLT

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

We can choose not to forgive…but you better plan on never doing anything wrong ever again. Matthew 6:15

Matthew 6:14–15 NIV

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Pastor, you don’t know what they said, you don’t know what they did to me.

You’re right, but God does, and He knows how I have sinned against Him, and He still forgives me.

Let’s make allowance for each other’s faults.

There has only ever been one perfect man. He was nailed to a cross.

Above all

Clothe yourselves with love

To have unity, we need to put on agape.

Colossians 3:14 NIV

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Love is like a belt. When it’s buckled, it keeps your pants up.

When love binds: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, it keeps them in perfect unity. These virtues cannot function properly without love.

Let’s put on love.

Paul closes this section with some powerful verses. This has to do with how we live, how we treat each other and how we respond to God.

Colossians 3:15 NIV

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

We have been called to peace, and when we are clothed with love this is possible.

To rule is a sporting term. Today we may think of referees or umpires.

Peace ≠ differences of opinion are eliminated

It means that

Peace = working together despite our differences

Love needs to bind us together, not uniformity.

God hasn’t made us robots. He has given us the ability to think and make decisions on our own. The key is that when we are working together, we live out

Romans 12:10 NIV

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

The lie that Satan has deceived and misled our society with is this, if your don’t agree with me and my way of thinking, you must hate me.

Sometimes as Christians, we want everyone to know the truth, and we fail to show love and grace.

John 13:35 NIV

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Since as members of one body, you were called to peace...

Be thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Let’s remember to give thanks to God for each other.

Thankfulness gets us focused on God rather than our circumstances. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT

But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Never forget, you are who you are by the grace of God. Each of us still are growing, and you might think that you can be so much more, but as you follow Christ, He will make you into the person He wants you to be.

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Finally, Paul gives direction on church and life.

Colossians 3:16–17 NIV

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When we come together,

we need the word of God, worship, and encouragement.

Paul said Psalms. Let’s not forget that the New Testament was still being written.

The word of God

Isaiah 55:10–11 NIV

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

God’s word will accomplish in you what God wants it to do.

Worship

Corporate worship is powerful. When we come together, we can sing songs of praise and worship to the Lord.

He is worthy of our praise and worship.

There is something that happens as God’s people come together and encourage each other as we worship.

Encouragement

Teaching, words of admonition.

We are called to build each other up in the faith. You may come seeking for an answer from the Lord and God uses a brother or sister in Christ to give words of wisdom in your time of need.

Let’s not forget that as we sing, it’s about gratitude in our hearts to the Lord.

I love you Lord, for your mercies never fail me. All my days have been held in your hand. From the moment that I wake up till I lay my head.

I will sing of the goodness of God.

Whatever you do

whether in word or action, do it all in the name of the Lord.

You and I are representatives of the Lord. When people hear what we say, when they see what we are doing, is it bringing glory to God?

That should set the course for our lives. God is giving us the privilege to spread His message of love, in word and in deed… so let’s be imitators of Jesus as we step outside the walls of this church into the mission of God.

Let’s pray!